The British government will admit that he will not use controversial powers In the online safety bill to scan messaging apps for harmful content until it is “technically feasible”, thereby postponing measures that critics say threaten users’ privacy. Financial Times: A planned statement in the House of Lords on Wednesday afternoon will mark a last-minute attempt by ministers to end the standoff with tech companies, including WhatsApp, which have threatened to withdraw their services from the UK over this which they described as intolerable. threat to the security of millions of users. The statement is expected to emphasize that Ofcom, the technology regulator, will only require companies to analyze their networks when technology capable of doing so is developed, according to people briefed on the plan. Many security experts believe it may be years before such technology is developed, if ever.
“An advisory can only be issued where technically possible and where the technology has been accredited as meeting minimum standards of accuracy to detect only child sexual exploitation and abuse content,” the statement said. The Online Safety Bill, several years in the making and now in its final stages in Parliament, is one of the toughest attempts by any government to hold big tech companies accountable content shared on their networks.
